


The Gospel According to Matthew

by ElectraRhodes



Series: Just one shot.. [14]
Category: Hannibal (TV), Hannibal Lecter Series - All Media Types
Genre: Canon adjacent/compliant, Gen, M/M, Multi, Reference to Hannibal being hanged and crucified, References to gun violence, alternating pov, angst and not much comfort, listening to Tosca and Grieg for the feels, reference to mental deterioration, still a bit of pre-slash though, still shippin', varying styles of chapter
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-12-21
Updated: 2016-12-30
Packaged: 2018-09-10 23:30:49
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,030
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8943778
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ElectraRhodes/pseuds/ElectraRhodes
Summary: Will Graham has agency in the world, and his name is Matthew Brown.





	1. Where there is a will..

**Author's Note:**

> The writers of the New Testament gospels are known as evangelists - Matthew is one of the four 'authors' that made it into the canonical New Testament (there are other gospels that aren't in the authorised versions). The word evangelist comes from the Greek 'euangelion' which is also where the word 'angel' comes from, euangelion basically means messenger, and the word 'gospel' basically translates as 'good news'.

'Why didn't he just shoot him? Why did he have to try and outwit him? Why did he have to be clever? Sure Hannibal will have some scarring, something to remind him every time he goddam rolls up his sleeves. 

But it's not enough. So much not enough. 

God. And crucifying him? What's that for? He's not a martyr, he's not the fucking victim in this. But now he looks like one. And hanging? Really? Matthew, ahh, shit, it's just so stupidly momentously fucking lamentably totally too much. 

Crucifixion and hanging? Jesus and Judas? Combined? The betrayer and the betrayed, or the other way round, it fucking works both ways. Depending on your point of view. Maybe Hannibal will see that, and be amused. He's both these things, both of them. Bastard. He can be amused. He's not fucking dead. He's not dead enough.'

Will can understand the symbolism, and even admire its rough approximation of the ripper's greatest hits. But 'why couldn't he have just shot him? In the pool, he'd hit him with a goddam dart, god he could have just let him drown. Why didn't he let him drown? Or just put a bullet in him.'

Will sighs aloud. He knows deep down that it probably wouldn't work sending a proxy, probably wouldn't have been satisfying either. It probably had to be him. Matthew had been an experiment, and he'd been curious about what would happen. That gave him pause and a sorrowful revelation. He was as bad as Hannibal and his manipulating.

'Still, if it had worked..' he wrestled with some ideas for a possible next time.. 'Hannibal isn't indestructible, there could be other opportunities. There could still be a reckoning.'

Will didn't remember to ask what happened to a Matthew Brown after he was shot.


	2. As long as I am Abel

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dr Gideon knows his name, and he knows Will Graham's name. Beyond that? Hard to say.

Last but one cell on the left  
Baltimore State Hospital for the Criminally Insane  
Baltimore  
Maryland

 

Dear Dr. Lecter,

I feel as though we know one another rather well. One might say closely. Imaginatively, even. I'm not sure if we've met properly face to face, which is why some of this is only in my head but maybe we know each other well enough to have this little correspondence. Yes, yes, yes, I know I've offended you, so I'm just wondering if this little missive might go some way to make do and mend the seams of what could have been a lovely friendship I'm sure. Will it? Well, I'm nothing if not an optimist. Ask anyone.

Did I say how much I liked the ostrich egg centrepiece? And that Zeus fellow, always metamorphosing at the convenient moment. Is that what you're doing Dr. Lecter? Metamorphosing? I feel like maybe you're rather spot on with your changing and flickering in the light. Oh you wear it well. Those suits, that careful buttoned-up-ness, that passion running like hot lead beneath the surface. I can't help but admire it. I'd even go as far as to say I want to be it. But not today, even that Dr Chilton gets the meds right once in a while. And I'm more or less sure who I am today. And more and probably not so less sure who you might be.

I imagine that we are colleagues of a kind, both professionally and in our more personal ambitions. I know that I'm but a humble pretender. In my defence I'd like to say that there were others 'wot made me do it' but I'm not sure if that is true or not. Maybe you know. I can honestly say I didn't mean to be you even if I meant to be just one of your faces to the world. One of your little masquerades for an adoring public (and they do adore you, all those hits on Tattlecrime.com). Masks are slippery like that, put one down for too long and who knows who might pick it up. Maybe you will and maybe you won't.

My little missive then is to stand as an apology and maybe as just a little nudge. That Will Graham, oh my, but he has a strong and violent grudge, it's quite purple in its intensity, I can feel it coming off him in waves. He might not remember now, but if and when he does, that cobalt room will be scarlet. He doesn't remember, but I do and I have the bullet wound to remind me of just how lost he is. 

So, I'd admit, I'm a little conflicted, Jack Crawford pushed Freddie Lounds, Freddie Lounds pushed me, I pushed you, you pushed him, and well, he shot me, but someone would have anyway so maybe I won't hold that against you. Or him. He and I get to have lovely long chats these days. Oh he's a feisty one. I can see the attraction, though I wouldn't want to be caught in his gravitational pull for all his prettiness. 

Dr Lecter do I need to remind you He is very pretty, and he is very angry. And maybe you know what that combination does to a certain sort of well, I can only call him a knight in shining uniform. Oh Dr Lecter, Will Graham has his admirers inside the BSHCI. I'm not sure if you know that? Do you? The more you alienate his little friends on the outside the stronger the bonds you are forging on the inside. Innies and outies, innies and outies. It's rather touching. And our little Will, oh he is beginning to understand he has a little power and what that power could look like, feel like. Oh, don't be mistaken, Will Graham has agency in the world. And it's going to come and jump up and bite your pretty little ass.

I don't know if you'll get to read this note, or when. If it will come in time, or only afterwards when it's too late. Because if it's not too late for you, it will be for the good Mr Graham and his gallant knight, or maybe not. How forgiving are you of his pretty curls and funny little brain. I used to think hearts on fire was an amusing little piccie, but a brain on fire is something else again. Do you wish you'd hosed it out now? I can see how you might.

I think it's time for me to go to sleep now. It's hard to remember what time it is sometimes. Will Graham says it's always later than you think. What does that mean Dr Lecter? Am I late? I know this isn't even a letter because they won't let me have paper these days. But it's what I'd send if I could. Or maybe not. Maybe I'd like to see what will happen too. And in here it is hard to get got. Even if dear Will has got game.

Yours, or probably not,

Abel Gideon (for the time being)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I so love the Abel Gideon character (excusing the murderous past and present with an airy wave of the hand) and I'd like to spend a bit more time getting my head into his head, where the madness sings.


	3. So soft is the bloom

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alana is asked by her FBI appointed therapist to write a first person narrative about the experience with Matthew Brown. She is not a happy bunny.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bits in ordinary type are what Alana actually wrote for the therapist
> 
> Bits between *....* are what she actually thought!

One of the things about my work for the FBI is that it's never in the field. Like Will Graham It's not something I aspire to and I don't think in general that it is something with which I would cope very well. I like to think I'm playing to my strengths and staying with what I'm good at, by offering my services as either a consultant or in a supporting therapeutic role.

* I am never never NEVER going to let myself be talked into going into the field again. NEVER!!!*

This incident was an anomaly. It took place because Agent Crawford and I became aware that Will Graham, a colleague and friend for several years may have instigated some sort of revenge attack against another colleague. Dr Lecter. Will Graham stands accused of several crimes and whilst I believe there is some doubt it is not clear to me that he is innocent of the things of which he has been accused. And these are beyond horrible. If he has done these things then I believe he has experienced a psychotic break. In which case he is possibly beyond any help I am professionally able to offer him. Will is currently in the BSHCI, and it was from there that Agent Crawford began an attempt to track Dr Lecter down, in order to verify his safety.

* For fuck's sake. If Will killed Abigail, then he is out of his tree. And this? WILL WHAT ARE YOU DOING?' I nearly loved you. And you've gone insane!!!! What have YOU DONE?'

I travelled to the pool with Agent Crawford. He is both efficient and capable and I trust him, and supported by an able team who were able to triangulate the signal from Dr Lecter's phone. Agent Crawford was armed. And from the moment we entered the pool building he used an appropriate two handed carry for his weapon. We entered the building quietly, though the acoustics may have announced out presence. It was unclear to us what we could expect when we reached the scene. The extent of Will Graham's delusion regarding the culpability of Dr Hannibal Lecter for the crimes of which he is accused is an aspect of his current manifesting psychosis. We did not know the detail of what he had conveyed to his proxy.

* shit shit shit, Jack's got his gun, his gun. Oh my god. Damn my heels are too loud. Oh god. I can't hear anything. What if Hannibal's drowned? I'll kill Will. shit what's that noise? Oh my god oh my god oh my god *

When we entered the pool hall we could see that Dr Lecter had been assaulted as he was bleeding, he had been crucified and also was liable to be hanged. He was dressed in his swimming trunks, was standing, and was supported on his toes by an upturned bucket. Dr Lecter appraised us that the perp too was armed, his voice showed evidence of his having been drugged. Agent Crawford responded to this threat with immediate targeted gunfire intending to disable the perp. The perp was brought down but retaliated by removing Dr Lecter's support. 

* no no no no no. Oh my good, god. Fuck. ShIt, he's going to hang, oh my god he's got a gun A GUN A GUN A GUN, shit shit. No no, that so bad so bad so bad. Hannibal Hannibal Hannibal I can't look, I have to, I can't look I can't I CANT, oh god he kicked the bucket, oh god that's sick, shit shit shit*

Agent Crawford was able to successfully support Dr Lecter to prevent his slow strangulation by the rope around his neck. He held him up and requested that I call for both back-up and an EMT. I discovered I couldn't get reception on my cell phone and left the hall to find a signal. Once I had called the medical team I waited for their arrival and escorted them to the scene. I understand that Agent Crawford was still holding Dr Lecter up, when the team arrived on the scene.

* Jack, Jack, oh my god save him save him save him. My phone my phone, shit I don't have a signal, run run run, no signal, ok three bars. Thank god, ring, explain. Wait. Breathe again. Wait. Shit shit shit, hurry up hurry up *

I was then able to ascertain that the young man who had assaulted Dr a Lecter was an orderly I recognised from the BSHCI. Once Dr Lecter was taken by the EMT, and the young man arrested and detained I was taken to the local precinct to give a statement. These notes for my mandatory psychiatric health check are based in part on that statement.

* dear god. NO? NO NO NO NO. That's not ok, not ok, not ok. How could Will. How could he. He tried to kill Hannibal. He really tried to kill him. This is just beyond terrible. And Hannibal. Oh he looks so vulnerable. How he'd hate this. He'd hate this. How could Will? This is the end, really the end. How can I ever talk to Will again. God I want to kill him. Oh Hannibal *

 

Signed.

Alana Bloom BSc PhD

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've had to write a few statements for legal proceedings (that sounds way worse than I meant it to) they are denuded of all emotion and sound very flat in tone. Quite peculiar. That's what I've gone for here. Though we know that inside Alana would have been going 'squeaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaal' or shouting a LOT, or both. Probably both.

**Author's Note:**

> Ahh, Matthew. I've watched the relevant episodes a few times. I don't ship it but I can appreciate his candour, and his own brand of obsessive loyalty.


End file.
